Kitchen cabinet having top opening with pedal operated closure



June 21, 1949. H. A. FROTHINGHAM ETAL 2,474,101

KITCHEN CABINET HAVING TOP OPENING WITH PEDAL OPERATED CLOSURE Filed April 9, 1946 Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE Harry A. Frothingham and Harriett C. Frothingham, Stamford, Conn.

Application April 9, 1946, Serial No. 660,702

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to an improvement in a kitchen unit for preparing food and its novelty consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

There has always been a great need for a food preparing kitchen unit and many have attempted to solve this problem but the problem remains unsolved.

Our unit is adapted to fit into the modern standard built-in kitchen cabinet ensemble and furnishes a unique combination which solves the waste problem in the preparation of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables for cookin and the dining table.

Referring to the drawings Fl". 1 is a perspective View of my unit with portions broken away to show the interior construction; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, I5 is a complete kitchen unit aving a base member 20 and a main body memer 2! a floor 22; a top 4 in which is mounted a cover H having a handle 9. Said body 2| has a door M hinged at 23 and a door handle I5. In the rim under the cover II is rigidly mounted a funnel 6 on the side of which is rigidly secured a deodorant holder or basket 3. A garbage pail I! is placed on the floor 22 directly underneath the funnel 5.

A pair of storage shelves I adapted to hold knives other food preparing tools, are rigidly mounted on the inside of door I4 and a wooden cutting board 2 is adapted to be slidably mounted in a bracket 88 which is rigidly secured to the underside of top 4. An extension back 24 of the body extends above the top 4, which top 4 is preferably covered with linoleum and is pitched to form gutters t which drain into the funnel 6 when the cover I! is open.

lhe cover 1 I may be opened by hand by means of cover handle 9 but in ordinary operation will be opened by means of foot pedal I II which moves in slot 22, is fulcrumed at 8 and hinged at 25 to push rod 20 connected at its upper end at 26 in. the toggle I5 mounted on bracket 30 pivoted at I toggle I5 has a toggle link 2'! which is hingedly connected at 28 to cover lever 29 which is integrally secured at I i to said cover II.

In operating the foot lever Iii by foot as it is pivoted over fulcrum 8 and passes through guide I and through hinge connection 25, push rod 26 will tension spring 5 secured at its lower end to bracket 1' and at its upper end to push rod 26 and through toggle it, link 27, cover lever 29 and the hinge I9 of cover Ii, said cover II will be thereby opened by means of the operation of foot lever it and spring 5 will normally insure the closing of said cover I I when the foot pedal I0 is released.

Cutting board 2 is readily available on opening the closed door it and is located immediately under the top t and can be readily pulled out for use sliding in bracket l8 and can be placed on top t for use when a board is preferred for cutting directly on it rather than on the linoleum finished top 4.

The spring 5, as described, insures the cover II closing normally when the foot is removed from the foot lever iii but when it is desired to leave the cover II open for a longer time, then the cover Ii can be pushed back by hand past the balancing point and spring 5 becomes temporarily inoperative and the cover II will remain in the open position. This may often be desirable as a long poultry, iish, meat, vegetable or fruit preparation is in operation as any liquids will run down the self draining top 4 and into the funnel '5 and all waste matter can constantly he pushed toward the same and into garbage pail ll.

Our combination has many advantages as it furnishes a proper cleaning and preparing top for all fish, game, poultry, meat, vegetables and fruit with an immediate drain and refuse funnel into the garbage can from said top thus avoiding the carrying and spilling of any liquid or waste matter. It also at the same time conceals the garbage can and its odors and it also makes it possible to do this even though the operators hands are not free as the open top can be made available by foot operation of foot edal l0.

As all householders know, it is most important that garbage containers be conveniently located but that the sight and odor of garbage be avoided and our garbage container is both convenient and entirely enclosed and deodorized at all times.

It will be apparent that many different materials may be used in making our device but that it is adapted to be made of metal with a linoleum top and a wooden cutting board to operate therewith.

Many variations may be made in the adaptation and arrangement of parts of our invention without departing from the spirit and intent of the same and all such variations are compresaid hinged cover and a spring connected at its lower end to a bracket supporting the upper end of the push rod and the other end of the spring being secured to the push rod.

HARRY A. FROTHINGHAM. HARRIETT C. FROTHINGHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nel leading from the bottom of said opening, a 10 file of this patent;

hinged cover mounted over said opening, a gar bage container encased in said cabinet directly beneath said funnel, a foot operated fulcrum'e'd lever mounted in said space between the bottom and base of said cabinet and hingedly connected to a push rod at the base of said 'p'ush ran, a toggle connected to the upper end of said push rod, the other end of said toggle being connected by a hinge to a lever extending from an edge of UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 290,528 Burckett Dec. 18, 1883 136,522 Hopkins Aug. 18, 1903 1,070,54 Slater Aug. 19, 1913 1,130,503 Franckaerts Mar. '2, 1915 1,808,402 Cooper June 2, 1931 

